LGBT - Background

‘Fortunately the authorities did not know that Turing was a homosexual. Otherwise we might have lost the war’.

Quote from a colleague of Alan Turing.

Alan Turing was a British mathematician, logician and cryptographer considered to be the father of modern computer science. During the Second World War, Turing headed the classified mission at Bletchley Park to crack the Nazi’s Enigma machine code (which was used to send secret military messages) which was central in bringing the war in Europe to an end. After the authorities found out he was gay, Turing was persecuted because of his sexual orientation and he tragically committed suicide.

LGBT refers to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender People and brings together issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity. These groups are distinct but covered under different areas of legislation but are often referred to collectively as the 'LGBT community' and can face similar issues with regards to prejudice and discrimination. However, it should be remembered that a trans person faces issues, primarily related to their gender identity, while issues faced by LGB people primarily relate to their sexual orientation.

Young people, for a variety of reasons, often face discrimination when trying to access a whole host of careers. Accessing STEM careers can provide extra challenges to those who may be perceived as non-traditional entrants e.g. young women into construction work or engineering careers.

If these young people also face issues related to their sexual orientation and gender identity then any problems they are already facing accessing STEM careers could be exacerbated.

LGB young people face high levels of homophobic bullying and prejudice, both within and outside of schools.

'People call me "gay" everyday, sometimes people kick me or push me, they shut me out of games during school gym and they steal my belongings.' James, 17, secondary school (South West). Hunt and Jensen, 2007

Research from Stonewall revealed that 65 per cent of LGB young people aged 18 and under had experienced homophobic bullying in schools. Some of those experiences were crimes, including death threats and serious physical assaults. Ninety per cent of secondary school teachers said that pupils in their schools are bullied, harassed or called names for being, or being perceived to be gay.

Half of teachers who say they are aware of homophobic bullying in school say the overwhelming majority of incidents are never officially reported or dealt with.'It is a subject which a lot of leadership teams dismiss or think isn't a problem in their schools. I think that we need to act urgently to prevent these problems.'Elizabeth, teacher, secondary school (North West).

Evidence suggests that trans people experience transphobia, in a wide range of forms. This includes bullying and discriminatory treatment in schools, harassment and physical/sexual assault and rejection from families, work colleagues and friends.

TheEHRC Trans Review (2009) found that in one study, 75 per cent of trans respondents experienced problems in school. Trans people faced problems similar to those they may encounter within the workplace: respondents ‘felt isolated and needed to stay “in the closet”; they experienced harassment from teachers and other students; they had been prohibited from using or expelled for using the “wrong” toilet facilities, and their institutions did not have trans acceptance policies’.

There may be links between homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools since it is what is seen as not conforming to societal expectations around gender that is often the spark for bullying rather than sexual orientation. Addressing homophobic bullying in schools may therefore also help challenge transphobic bullying.

Young people who are in the transition stage of gender reassignment can legally change their name from male to female and vice versa and may begin to dress appropriately to their ‘new’ gender identity. Currently, UK legislation does not allow hormone treatment before 16 years of age and an operation for gender reassignment cannot take place before the age of 18. However, people under these ages may express differential gender behaviour and identify as trans and face particular issues in relation to discrimination and prejudice.

‘Everyone has people in their lives that are gay, lesbian or transgender or bisexual. They may not want to admit it, but I guarantee they know somebody.’ Billie Jean King